Alan Ayr, a distinguished fellow for foreign policy at the Middle East Institute in Washington, stated that the truly important negotiations currently taking place are between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, not between the US and Iran over a peace agreement. He explained that Iran has decided that direct negotiations with the US are no longer worthwhile because Iran cannot trust any promises made by the US. Ayr stated, "Nothing has changed. President Trump has threatened to destroy Iran five or six times, but each time he backed down at the last minute. I think it's hard to believe that negotiations are taking place, and it's hard to believe that Trump is reaching an agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue or the Strait of Hormuz."